Lucien opened the card and began reading it without waiting for any one.‘To the girl with the most unique personality I have ever met.’ Lucien read from the card that sent Laura paling with confusion and then realization. Lucien ignored the expression on Laura's face and continued to read the rest of the words in the card much to his mother's grievance. ‘Although it's a little bit late to send a gift, I really enjoyed our previous date and I'm looking forward to having another date with you very soon. Yours truly, the desperate heir.’Silence engulfed the entire room, immediately Lucien finished reading what was written in the card. No one said a single word and every pair of eyes snapped their attention towards her at the same time as if they already knew the truth.Eva's eyebrow also shot up in amazement, when she heard all the things that Lucien had read out. She was expecting the content in the letter to be Matthew's sappy words to Laura since she claimed that it was a gift from
“Are you about to leave?” Eva asked, because that was the only reason why he would be in the room.“Yes, the driver is waiting outside for me.” Lucien replied.“Alright, let's get going.” Eva muttered as she grabbed her hand bag ready to go out of the room.“Why are you coming with me?” Lucien asked with a frown on his face.“Simply because I want to see my younger brother off to school. Let's go.” Eva smiled at Lucien before walking to the door.“You creep me out whenever you smile like that.” Lucien commented as he followed behind Eva, who smirked at his statement.Both Eva and Lucien walked out of the house and entered the car that was waiting for them. Eva already guessed that Matthew must have left for company since she didn't see him again downstairs when both she and Lucien walked out.Eva pulled out her phone from her handbag and decided to check the internet to see whether the scandalous picture of both her and Damien had already been taken down from the internet. And just as
Although Damien never ordered him to keep tabs on Eva's every move and report to him, Shane felt like he should let Damien know what she was doing now since it was obvious that Damien seemed to be interested in Eva. This was the first time he had seen Damien interested in a woman ever since he had known Damien. He was also sure that if Damien's grandfather who was none other than the patriarch of the Cross family heard about this sudden change in Damien, a smile would grace his old wrinkled face. Shane made up his mind to help out his boss to win Eva for him even though he got rejected.Damien paused for a few seconds when he heard Shane report without raising his head up from the file he was going through. He hadn't asked Shane to report such things but he still found the information quite useful to him at the moment.Shane waited for a few extra minutes hoping that Damien would say anything but it was futile because Damien didn't raise his head or utter any word as he only focused o
“Plans? What plans do you have? Besides, who was that beautiful lady that came to see you yesterday? I've never seen her before.” A young girl who had also been listening to the conversation between Lucien and his friend quickly buttressed into the conversation with curiosity. She was among one of the girls that were following Lucien yesterday.Lucien glanced at her for a few seconds with a blank expression on his face. “And why should I answer that question?” He replied coldly with a question.The girl was flustered when she heard Lucien's response. Though she was curious to know who Eva was to Lucien, she was secretly jealous of the fact that Lucien actually ditched them yesterday because of Eva.“I-” She was suddenly interrupted by the school bell. Lucien didn't say anything else as he slung his school bag over his shoulder and strutted out of the classroom.When his friend saw him leaving the classroom, they quickly stood up from their seats also and followed behind Lucien.Outsid
“You should have urged me no matter how hard I tried to not listen.” Eva groaned. “And would you listen if I was persistent?” Lucien questioned. He had purposely stayed behind with Eva today, because he was already expecting this situation.Eva snorted, it was true she wouldn't have listened nonetheless if he was persistent. “Whatever.” Eva groaned and eyed Lucien's suit jacket and a sly smile creeped up on her face.She turned her head and saw a light blue Porsche 718 Cayman pulling over the pavement leading towards where they were standing. Realizing that she didn't have much time to go back inside and change out of this dress- not that she was going to change it easily without arguing with Laura. Eva turned to look at Lucien who was also staring at her with a suspicious gaze. “Give me your clothes, Lucien." Eva demanded. "I knew you were up to no good when that creepy smile appeared on your face. But thanks, I can't give you my clothes, they would smell like you.” Lucien looked
When she returned back home, Eva made up her mind and decided to ask Lucien the reason why he disliked Lucas on first meeting quickly. Right now, without uttering another word for bothering to look back, Eva entered the car and sat down in the passenger seat. immediately, she took her seat. The scent in his car made her swallow the words of appreciation she was about to utter. “Smells of sunflowers.” Eva silently mumbled.“I heard that they are your favorite flowers, so I branched into a flower shop and got some for you.” Lucas said, flashing Eva a quick smile before starting the car.Eva frowned at his comment before she spoke. “Who did you hear it from?" she questioned.“A little birdie told me." Lucas replied with a teasing smile on his face. Eva blinked, the little birdy he meant was either her father or Laura. She expected as much. Eva turned her head and glanced out the window, she thought Laura was the one that went ahead and set her up with another blind date, however, it tu
Eva suddenly felt a little bit uncomfortable as she stared at her surroundings. They just had to be in a place where she had secretly sold most of her paintings to. Fucking hell! Nobody, not even her father except for Nathalia and Lucien knew that Eva had secretly sold most of her paintings she had done in her spare time to the museum. Nobody knew the identity of the infamous artist of her paintings.Never once had she visited this place because it was the place she sold her paintings and it would feel weird so she always visited other big museums whenever she had nothing to do but thanks to Lucas who had brought her here she had no choice. She can briefly sense that he was trying to please her with her favorite things but it really isn't working at all on Eva. “It's not enough." Eva finally replied to him. However, Lucas was confused by what Eva meant. He wasn't sure if Eva was indicating that the location of the date wasn't enough for her.Eva glanced at him and saw the confused e
Damien reached out his hand in order to praise her for being focused on him. He stroked her hair away from her face and pushed it behind her ear, revealing her sharp features.Damien made sure that he didn't touch her skin and only her hair. Her long lashes fluttered and immediately, he glanced at her mouth making Eva's breath quickened as she also followed his gaze.“Now, now, be a good doll and step aside. You're blocking my path.” Without waiting for her to move, Damien simply shoved past Lucas not once looking back to see the mess he had made of Eva. The second he left the spell was broken making Eva fumed in her mind. She couldn't help but chide herself for falling hopelessly into his trap. She might have as well skipped her way into the dragon's cave!“I'm sorry," Eva breathed out, she turned to look at Lucas besides her. This was a blind date with Lucas but it was suddenly interrupted by Damien's presence. She couldn't do or say anything other than the fact that she was drawn
--- After the Fitting As Eva stepped off the platform, Gwen handed her a bottle of water. “You handled that beautifully.” Eva took a sip and smirked. “Christine’s getting predictable.” Trix rolled her eyes. “What’s next? Tripping you on the runway?” Eva chuckled. “If she does, I’ll be ready for that too.” Christine might have thought she could sabotage Eva with clumsy tricks, but Eva wasn’t easily shaken. When they got to her room, Eva sighed in relief as she kicked off her heels, rolling her ankles to ease the tension. “What’s my schedule looking like today, Trix?” she asked, rubbing her temples. Trix scrolled through her tablet, barely glancing up. “You have a photoshoot with Victoria this afternoon after you wrap up here.” Eva groaned, sinking into the plush chair. “Can’t we reschedule? At this point, I can’t tell if she’s just dedicated to her work or if she’s obsessed with overworking me to death.” Gwen chuckled, settling onto the couch beside her. “She’s taken a real l
The fashion house hosting the campaign had scheduled a fitting session for all the models. The room buzzed with activity as assistants, designers, and stylists adjusted gowns and accessories. Eva arrived, poised and confident, dressed in a sleek black dress. Gwen and Trix trailed behind her, chatting about the campaign’s recent success. Christine was already there, surrounded by a few stylists, her laughter deliberately exaggerated as she chatted with a designer. Eva ignored her and focused on her fitting. A stylist handed her an elegant white gown, its fabric shimmering under the lights. It was one of the most anticipated pieces of the campaign, and Eva knew this photoshoot would be critical. As she stepped onto the fitting platform, Christine made her move. A designer approached Eva with a clipboard, giving her details about the shoot. Christine, pretending to walk past, "accidentally" tilted a cup of coffee in Eva’s direction. Time seemed to slow. The dark liquid splashed on
Christine arrived at the elegant restaurant exactly on time, her usual sweet smile in place. Despite her outward composure, she couldn’t deny the slight unease settling in her stomach. Victoria had announced Eva as her chosen model two days ago, yet here she was, inviting Christine for lunch. It didn’t make sense. Christine had had done everything in her power to sway Victoria against Eva, planting doubts, twisting the truth, and playing the concerned friend. But it had failed. Eva hadstill won. So why am was. she here? Pushing aside her skepticism, Christine decided to play along. If Victoria wanted to meet, she would act as if nothing was wrong. “Victoria,” she greeted warmly as she reached the table. “It’s so good to see you. I was surprised by your invitation.” Victoria, sitting across from her, barely reacted. Her expression was unreadable, her fingers lightly tapping against her wine glass. Christine took a seat gracefully, keeping her smile in place. “I have to say, you
-- As soon as the meeting ended, Christine marched straight toward Eva, her heels clicking against the marble floor. “Sister,” she greeted with a bright, almost saccharine smile. “What you did back there was so impressive.” Eva remained expressionless, her arms crossed as she stared Christine down. Christine’s smile didn’t falter. “I didn’t realize you had such a creative spark. Tell me, when exactly did you see my idea and decide to… improve upon it? Did you happen to glance at it while I was working?” Her voice was sweet, but the accusation was unmistakable. Before Eva could respond, Trix stepped forward, her sharp gaze locked on Christine. “What exactly are you trying to imply, Christine?” Trix asked coldly. Christine feigned innocence, tilting her head. “Oh, nothing serious. I was just wondering how my idea—one I spent so much time refining—was suddenly overlooked in favor of something… so similar.” She cast Eva a knowing smirk. Eva arched an unimpressed eyebrow. “You mea
The collaborative campaign was one of the biggest projects of the season, featuring elite models, renowned designers, and a top creative team. Eva had spent days preparing for the brainstorming session, refining unique ideas that would make the campaign stand out. However, Christine had no intention of letting Eva shine. This time, she planned to steal the spotlight—by stealing Eva’s ideas. It's been a week after Victoria's incident and just like Tanya had advised her, Christine had piped down. However, it seems her patience is finally going to pay off now that she has seen an opportunity to use. --- The atmosphere in the conference room buzzed with anticipation. Top executives, marketing directors, and creative leads gathered, ready to hear proposals for the campaign’s direction. Eva had spent the past week crafting a concept that was both elegant and modern, something that would redefine high-fashion advertising. She sat at the table, confident but cautious. Christine was
Eva sighed, but she maintained her composure. “That’s not true,” she said firmly. “I have nothing but respect for your designs and what you’ve achieved in this industry.”Victoria raised an eyebrow. “And you expect me to take your word over hers?”Eva met her gaze, unflinching. “Yes. But I also believe actions speak louder than words. Let me prove my sincerity by working with you on something that reflects your vision entirely.”Victoria’s expression softened slightly. “So you’re proposing a collaboration—on my terms?”Eva nodded. “I want to respect your artistry, not overshadow it. Whatever you need, I’m here to deliver.”Victoria hummed thoughtfully, tapping her fingers against the table.Eva arched her brow. “What? You think I’m lying?”“No, I can tell you’re being sincere.” Victoria leaned back, crossing her arms. “I was just wondering how you managed to be such a bitch last night, and now here you are, offering me a deal. It’s like you’re two completely different people. My frien
After the dinner, Eva sat in her dressing room, her expression calm but her mind sharp with suspicion. Gwen and Trix stood nearby, sensing the shift in her mood.“Something’s off,” Eva finally said, leaning back on the couch. “Victoria was completely different tonight. I’m sure Christine is behind this.”Trix frowned, scrolling through her tablet. “Wouldn’t be the first time. Christine’s tricks are anything but subtle.”“She must have fed Victoria something damaging,” Gwen added. “Victoria isn’t the type to act on baseless rumors unless she was nudged in the right direction.”Eva scoffed. “I expected Victoria to be more rational than to fall for empty gossip.”“Well, think about it,” Gwen countered, crossing her arms. “Victoria has never met you before. If she treated you that way tonight, then someone must’ve gotten to her first. And given the way you reacted, it only reinforced whatever she was told.”Eva arched a brow. “What? You wanted me to play nice and kiss up to her? If she wa
Two days after Christine’s meeting with Victoria, the pre-collaboration dinner finally arrived.Victoria moved through the room with an air of grace, greeting the models with warm professionalism. Even Christine received a polite smile, which only fueled her satisfaction—Victoria had clearly taken the bait.“It looks like she believed everything you told her,” Tanya murmured under her breath as she stood beside Christine, observing Victoria’s interactions.Christine smirked, keeping her expression composed. “Patience. She may have bitten, but we need to see how deep the hook is.” Her gaze swept the room, searching for Eva. She had expected her sister to make an entrance by now, yet there was no sign of her.“Where is Evangeline?” Christine’s voice carried a hint of irritation.“That evil woman is over there,” Tanya scoffed, tilting her head toward the center of the room.Christine followed her line of sight and found Eva effortlessly commanding attention. She was surrounded by a group
The buzz of an elite designer collaboration filled the industry. Working with the renowned designer Victoria Byrd wasn’t just a career milestone; it was a privilege. Known for her impeccable artistry and influence, Victoria's approval could make or break a model's reputation.For Eva, the collaboration was an exciting opportunity, not that she needed it for any particular reason. She just wanted to get her hands on the opportunity so that Christine doesn't. Moreso, Victoria admired professionalism and authenticity, two traits Eva embodied. However, Christine saw it as yet another chance to undermine Eva.“Tanya, get me an appointment with Victoria Byrd,” Christine ordered as she set her phone down with a decisive click.Tanya blinked in surprise before furrowing her brows. “Victoria Byrd? Why do you suddenly want to meet with her?”Christine let out a scoff, her lips curling into a knowing smirk. “What do you think? To put my plan into motion, of course. I’m not about to let this gol